[marden]

Are Old People Really Smarter? If So, Why?

Do people just get older and no smarter? Or do they acquire more knowledge and experience with accrued time on Earth and thus are smarter than young people?

Is there a difference between their smarts and young people's smarts?

[Chuckit]

I wouldn't say yes or no.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

I wouldn't say yes or no.

Hmm, wouldn't that count as a "Duh?"

[andi*pandi]

more knowledge does not count as smarter.

[design219]

There's a difference between education and intelligence. Of course, you ususally get more of the first if you are blessed with the second. Then again, you loose brain cells after a while. I lost my socks this morning. Crap, my dentures are loose. Is it cold, or do you ride the bus?

[marden]

I say that old people are wiser. And if they are also better informed then they have it all over younger better educated folk.

There.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by marden 

Hmm, wouldn't that count as a "Duh?"

No. That's a "The question as asked cannot be answered categorically." Some people go their whole lives and never learn a thing. Others make good use of their time and are quite wise by the time they're old.

[ort888]

Old people have the wisdom of experience.... but they are also trapped by it. Generally speaking, the older you get, the more set in your ways you get and the less open you become to opposing view points or alternate ways of doing things.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

No. That's a "The question as asked cannot be answered categorically." Some people go their whole lives and never learn a thing. Others make good use of their time and are quite wise by the time they're old.

In am in awe!

Great Post!

[marden]

I think that older people have a chance to see things happen as cycles or patterns that repeat themselves whereas a younger person sees something the first time and believes it has never happened before nor will it happen again.

Or a young person sees something and believes it will be the end of the world or the situations will always be as bad or good as they appear at this moment whereas an older person has seen it, or something like it, before and better knows the results that come from the current conditions.

In other words, older folks have better sense of perspective.

[andi*pandi]

and a better appreciation of fine films.

[marden]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

and a better appreciation of fine films.

Yeah, like Titanic and Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter!

Tee Hee

[ghporter]

Older people tend to have a broader base of experience from which to interpret new information, and a broader base of experience to base reactions to new situations and events on. This is not "smarter" in the normal sense, but in what shrinks call "social intelligence" it certainly does qualify as "more socially intelligent."

I've been around the block almost twice, and I have enough experience to be able to say "well of course it's this way..." when something new pops up. This tends to surprise my younger classmates.

[marden]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Older people tend to have a broader base of experience from which to interpret new information, and a broader base of experience to base reactions to new situations and events on. This is not "smarter" in the normal sense, but in what shrinks call "social intelligence" it certainly does qualify as "more socially intelligent."

I've been around the block almost twice, and I have enough experience to be able to say "well of course it's this way..." when something new pops up. This tends to surprise my younger classmates.

And it makes me wonder why any of the noobz here would ever argue with those here who happen to be 'longer in the tooth.'

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Most of the great geniuses in recorded history did their most brilliant and/or best work when quite young – from the late teens to mid-20s.

And it makes me wonder why any of the noobz here would ever argue with those here who happen to be 'longer in the tooth.'

Your annoying digs notwithstanding, it's because of

Generally speaking, the older you get, the more set in your ways you get and the less open you become to opposing view points or alternate ways of doing things.

Hence, probably why flashes of genius tend to manifest themselves when young, before "experience" and the inevitable conservatism of age constricts ideas.

greg

[marden]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Most of the great geniuses in recorded history did their most brilliant and/or best work when quite young – from the late teens to mid-20s.


Your annoying digs notwithstanding, it's because of

Hence, probably why flashes of genius tend to manifest themselves when young, before "experience" and the inevitable conservatism of age constricts ideas.

greg

Then that must be very depressing for you. You haven't shown signs of intellectual distinction yet. You'd better HOPE there is such a thing as "late blooming."

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Older people tend to have a broader base of experience from which to interpret new information, and a broader base of experience to base reactions to new situations and events on. This is not "smarter" in the normal sense, but in what shrinks call "social intelligence" it certainly does qualify as "more socially intelligent."

I've been around the block almost twice, and I have enough experience to be able to say "well of course it's this way..." when something new pops up. This tends to surprise my younger classmates.

Then why am I able to predict the consequences of my boss's actions better than he can when he's more than twice my age?

More experience only counts for something if you actually learn from it. Many people are content to repeat their mistakes forever.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Then why am I able to predict the consequences of my boss's actions better than he can when he's more than twice my age?

More experience only counts for something if you actually learn from it. Many people are content to repeat their mistakes forever.

There have been times when circumstances required more action than reflection and I wasn't able to spend as much time deliberating. I just had to decide and act. Anything that wasn't already well imbedded in my mind wouldn't be considered in my decision-making. Then, there are also some folks who just don't reflect much, well or at all. The Universe doesn't mind. It understands and repeats the lessons until we get it.

[invisibleX]

Originally Posted by marden 

And it makes me wonder why any of the noobz here would ever argue with those here who happen to be 'longer in the tooth.'

Because age, raw intelligence, and even experience do not necesarily make someone's arguments sound or valid. Of course you probably don't like to hear this; you believe you spew truth from every oriface by divine right.

While I'd never turn down the experience of an older person I'd be wary of how they use it. Because experience is all well and good but it tends to make one less flexible, unable to adapt to new information and ideas, and utterly entrenched. In other words: brittle.

[marden]

Originally Posted by invisibleX 

Because age, raw intelligence, and even experience do not necesarily make someone's arguments sound or valid. Of course you probably don't like to hear this; you believe you spew truth from every oriface by divine right.

While I'd never turn down the experience of an older person I'd be wary of how they use it. Because experience is all well and good but it tends to make one less flexible, unable to adapt to new information and ideas, and utterly entrenched. In other words: brittle.

I laugh whenever I hear you guys say that. I'll give you an example. When you were a virgin at 18 or so and a girl had her clothes off and said she might agree to have 'relations' with you and then she giggled and said she might not have sex with you, when you have no experience you think about all the options at that point.

Maybe you shouldn't have sex because she is a virgin. Maybe you shouldn't have sex because she might have an STD. Maybe you shouldn't have sex because you are a virgin. Maybe you shouldn't have sex because you have another girlfriend. Maybe you shouldn't have sex because you promised Mom & Dad you'd be home by 11:00pm and it's already 10:30. Maybe you shouldn't have sex because she is going with your best friend. Maybe you shouldn't have sex because...

And the list could go on and on and on and on.

An older guy might tell you you must close the deal at that point but a young, inexperienced fellow might decry the sage wisdom of the older guy and say he's less flexible or unable to take in new information.

Well, I'll speak for myself and say that often when youngsters THINK I'm not taking in new info or that I'm inflexible it's because I have already identified the situation, assessed the variables and options and decided on a course of action while the young guy is still trying to identify the situation. And when they see that I have already decided on a course of action they believe it has come about without thinking.

And that is the advantage of age. Some decisions don't take as long to deal with because we have been there many times before and thought about or dealt with those issues many times before.

So in this case the advice would be this: as long as she is legal, sober, conscious, not crying, not on the rag, unmarried and doesn't say no, then you should close the deal.

But...

Close the deal.

But what about...

Close the deal.

"Damn it! You old guys are less flexible, unable to adapt to new information and ideas, and utterly entrenched. In other words: brittle."

Yeah, riiiight.

[Railroader]

Here's my anecdote:

I am in college after quitting to go to work for GM, working 12 years, quitting my job, and then going back to school. I sit in lectures now, I pay a lot less attention than I ever did, I don't read any of the material or study for any of the exams. I have yet to get anything less than a 95% on any assignment or exam. My classes are far more advanced than ever before and the level of technology has advanced tremendously.

I am certainly a lot smarter than I was. I still make some stupid mistakes and bad judgement calls, but I make a lot less than I ever did before.

[invisibleX]

You know I never have to prove my arguments with you. You always do it for me.

The example you gave is of no use to me because it is, as I'm sure you're aware, devoid of any variables. As well its not even using the experience of age. All it says is act on the information you have not the information you don't have. Very wise no doubt but its something most of us learn quite early on from our parents or somewhat later on through the teen age years. I dare say its instinct.

I'll repeat it again for those who aren't drunk on their own pride:

An older person will react to a situation, find a solution, make a decision based on the same thinking and understanding-wisdom-as they have before. Your internal logic becomes frozen in place.

In a slight twist of irony this thread proves it perfectly. You believe that age is inherently wiser and more intelligent than comparitive youth. The question was rhetorical from the start. No matter what beautiful prose or undeniable logic followed it your beliefs would remain unchanged. I don't think this is even limited to simple stubbornness: you actually come to the same conclusion repeatedly.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by invisibleX 

You know I never have to prove my arguments with you. You always do it for me.

The example you gave is of no use to me because it is, as I'm sure you're aware, devoid of any variables. As well its not even using the experience of age. All it says is act on the information you have not the information you don't have. Very wise no doubt but its something most of us learn quite early on from our parents or somewhat later on through the teen age years. I dare say its instinct.

I'll repeat it again for those who aren't drunk on their own pride:

An older person will react to a situation, find a solution, make a decision based on the same thinking and understanding-wisdom-as they have before. Your internal logic becomes frozen in place.

In a slight twist of irony this thread proves it perfectly. You believe that age is inherently wiser and more intelligent than comparitive youth. The question was rhetorical from the start. No matter what beautiful prose or undeniable logic followed it your beliefs would remain unchanged. I don't think this is even limited to simple stubbornness: you actually come to the same conclusion repeatedly.

If you're speaking to me, you couldn't be more wrong.

I am taking classes in an area I have no background in what so ever, and I am constantly being told by my professors "You are very correct, and in all my years of teaching I have never heard it stated that way". And often I am the one the teacher goes to for a deeper insight into a subject matter.

Alas, sometimes greater knowledge has it's faults. Your level of responsibility is greatly increased as well. You're looked to not to fail and people come to you for answers to problems that you may not have the solution. To deal with it you become resourceful.

I think you are bound by the paradigm you are in. You think old people think they are smarter and they are stuck believing that no matter what. You have to ask yourself: why do we have the results we have? I think you are not fully understanding the variables involved or blinded by your ignorance.

I think a lot of it is a simple matter of time management and judicious decision making on what is important and what is not important. Ask yourself why you don't see many people over the age of 30 playing video games and obsessing about DRM. What are the issues someone with a family and a career to juggle? Are they shopping in the mall or checking the Dell website every couple days to see if they price of the monitor they just bought has dropped so they can call Dell and ask for their $30 back? What are their radio presets? Do they have every top-10 radio station programmed in, or do they have every NPR and new-talk radio station on their presets?

In the end, you can romanticize about the power of youth all you want, but there's a reason the constitution stipulates that a president must be over 35 years old.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Here's my anecdote:

I am in college after quitting to go to work for GM, working 12 years, quitting my job, and then going back to school. I sit in lectures now, I pay a lot less attention than I ever did, I don't read any of the material or study for any of the exams. I have yet to get anything less than a 95% on any assignment or exam. My classes are far more advanced than ever before and the level of technology has advanced tremendously.

I am certainly a lot smarter than I was. I still make some stupid mistakes and bad judgement calls, but I make a lot less than I ever did before.

When you wrote that, were you by chance masturbating over a photograph of yourself?

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

I am taking classes in an area I have no background in what so ever, and I am constantly being told by my professors "You are very correct, and in all my years of teaching I have never heard it stated that way". And often I am the one the teacher goes to for a deeper insight into a subject matter.

You're the biggest jerk I've ever met! But really, Railroader, this kind of bragging betrays nothing but earnest social stupidity—you don't realise how many people are going to cringe at your post.

[smacintush]

I think we have seen macgeek2005 in 20 years…

[Zeeb]

In the context of this discussion, it might be helpful if people posted their age. . .

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Then why am I able to predict the consequences of my boss's actions better than he can when he's more than twice my age?

More experience only counts for something if you actually learn from it. Many people are content to repeat their mistakes forever.

You are better able because your boss is an idiot. As you say, if a person doesn't learn from an experience, the experience isn't worth anything to them. There's an old saying: "Learn from others's mistakes because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself." I try to live by that.

Originally Posted by Zeeb 

In the context of this discussion, it might be helpful if people posted their age. . .

For the sake of context, I'm 47.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

If you're speaking to me, you couldn't be more wrong.

I am taking classes in an area I have no background in what so ever, and I am constantly being told by my professors "You are very correct, and in all my years of teaching I have never heard it stated that way". And often I am the one the teacher goes to for a deeper insight into a subject matter.

Alas, sometimes greater knowledge has it's faults. Your level of responsibility is greatly increased as well. You're looked to not to fail and people come to you for answers to problems that you may not have the solution. To deal with it you become resourceful.

I think you are bound by the paradigm you are in. You think old people think they are smarter and they are stuck believing that no matter what. You have to ask yourself: why do we have the results we have? I think you are not fully understanding the variables involved or blinded by your ignorance.

I think a lot of it is a simple matter of time management and judicious decision making on what is important and what is not important. Ask yourself why you don't see many people over the age of 30 playing video games and obsessing about DRM. What are the issues someone with a family and a career to juggle? Are they shopping in the mall or checking the Dell website every couple days to see if they price of the monitor they just bought has dropped so they can call Dell and ask for their $30 back? What are their radio presets? Do they have every top-10 radio station programmed in, or do they have every NPR and new-talk radio station on their presets?

In the end, you can romanticize about the power of youth all you want, but there's a reason the constitution stipulates that a president must be over 35 years old.

The ONLY reason I don't give you a SMACKDOWN for this fine post is because you intended it to be more informative than punitive. However you eloquently demonstrated the advantage of maturity and executed your intentions PERFECTLY.

Damn fine post!

[marden]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

When you wrote that, were you by chance masturbating over a photograph of yourself?

Gee, Railroader makes a post and your thoughts turn to the sexual?

Maybe you should talk with others here who have come out of the closet on these pages and not only lost their pent up hostility but felt a new sense of freedom as a result.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by marden 

Gee, Railroader makes a post and your thoughts turn to the sexual?

Maybe you should talk with others here who have come out of the closet on these pages and not only lost their pent up hostility but felt a new sense of freedom as a result.

Just because I love cock doesn't mean I'm gay.

Man, what a fag.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

Just because I love cock doesn't mean I'm gay.

Man, what a fag.

Just because Ann Coulter can brilliantly use the word to try and help force America to deal with freedom of speech and censorship head on doesn't mean you can achieve the same ends.



I can understand that you'd join me in being a fan of hers, but unlike Ann, you are seriously using the word, "Fag" as a pejorative. As something that is bad. Do you also call people cripples as a way of insulting them? Same thing. They are unable to change their situation.

What a maroon!

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by marden 

Do you also call people cripples as a way of insulting them? Same thing. They are unable to change their situation.

If they're so smart, how come they're cripple?

[marden]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

If they're so smart, how come they're cripple?

That might be like asking why you love cock.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by marden 

That might be like asking why you love cock.

Because I'm a woman. Duh.

(Beware!—My clitoral hood conceals a viper’s fang!)

[design219]

The story line takes a sudden twist.

[marden]

Originally Posted by design219 

The story line takes a sudden twist.

As far as arguing the point it changes nothing. But as far as understanding the frame of reference for her posts it does explain some things.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

You're the biggest jerk I've ever met! But really, Railroader, this kind of bragging betrays nothing but earnest social stupidity—you don't realise how many people are going to cringe at your post.

Only the insecure would cringe.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

Because I'm a woman. Duh.

(Beware!—My clitoral hood conceals a viper’s fang!)

In other words you were born that way. I rest my case.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

You're the biggest jerk I've ever met! But really, Railroader, this kind of bragging betrays nothing but earnest social stupidity—you don't realise how many people are going to cringe at your post.

You've really had it out for me lately. I wasn't bragging. The OP asked about experiences with age and intelligence. I shared mine. The part you don't realize is that I am average amongst my peers.

Completely average. Now that's some big bragging!!!

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

When you wrote that, were you by chance masturbating over a photograph of yourself?

So, thoughts of me and my large intelligence cause you to think of sex... interesting... no, creepy!

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

I think we have seen macgeek2005 in 20 years…

Here's the flaw in your little barb, I don't think I am any smarter than people my age. I am average amongst my peer group.

Nice try.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by marden 

The ONLY reason I don't give you a SMACKDOWN for this fine post is because you intended it to be more informative than punitive. However you eloquently demonstrated the advantage of maturity and executed your intentions PERFECTLY.

Damn fine post!

[IMG]http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8682/applausexu3.gif[IMG]

Thank you for reading that correctly. Unlike the other people who didn't think it out.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

You've really had it out for me lately.

Sorry. It's just banter. Don't take it seriously.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

So, thoughts of me and my large intelligence cause you to think of sex... interesting... no, creepy!

It's been revealed. Tiresias is really a SHE!!!

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

Sorry. It's just banter. Don't take it seriously.

This is your idea of banter. You are demented. I feel sorry for your friends. They must really hate themselves to be hanging around with you.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

Because I'm a woman. Duh.

(Beware!—My clitoral hood conceals a viper’s fang!)

I KNEW IT!

[marden]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

This is your idea of banter. You are demented. I feel sorry for your friends. They must really hate themselves to be hanging around with you.

In retrospect I think she might have been 'literarily flirting' with you.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by marden 

In retrospect I think she might have been 'literarily flirting' with you.

I am still creeped out. I can't get out of my head that she isn't a 19 year old boy with a weird internet crush.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

I am still creeped out. I can't get out of my head that she isn't a 19 year old boy with a weird internet crush.

Originally Posted by Tiresias
Because I'm a woman. Duh.

(Beware!—My clitoral hood conceals a viper’s fang!)

This post reveals a great deal about the poster. 19 year old guys don't know their way around female genitalia much less have a grasp of the nomenclature down there . Further, there is a subtlety in describing her defensive/offensive capabilities that a young man wouldn't possess. I'd bet a dollar it's a woman and I'd also wager she is older than 30. And pretty well educated, too.

FWIW.



EDIT: Although this is a sophisticated image one could easily place as being beyond a 19 year old guy's taste it WOULDN'T be outside the aesthetic realm of a 19 year old GAY guy. So, the sig image is a push. It could go either way.